Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Cocktails, Italian style: Nights with Neve at Osteria La Buca

Neve icemaster Michel Dozois at Osteria La Buca

It was only fitting that Neve Ice's latest Nights with Neve cocktail pop-up at Osteria La Buca featured Italian -inspired cocktails to go with the snacks of arugula pizza, prosciutto and arancini with beets. Neve, purveyors of the jumbo crystal clear cubes used by some of the better bars and restaurants around town, invited La Descarga bartender Steve Livigni to create four inspired cocktails at La Buca's secret space accessed through the back alley. All the town's enthusiastic cocktail chroniclers were there: FoodGPS, ThirstyinLA, CarolineonCrack and SavoryHunter, to name just a few.

Silenzio Dolce cocktail, Nights with Neve at Osteria La Buca

The Silenzio Dolce, with Zaya rum, Averna Amaro liquer, blood orange juice and nocello walnut liqueur) was my favorite. I'm not sure the pulpy cantaloupe puree in The Eloper (Dimmi Italian liquer, vodka, lemon juice, cantaloupe and Prosecco) worked that well in a cocktail, though. The Italian Stallion (Scotch, Carpano Antica, Cynar) was much smoother and less bitter than I had anticipated -- maybe I don't dislike Cynar artichoke liqueur as much as I thought. Last up: I Luv Lucy, a perfect frothy brunchish concoction of Carpano Antica, whiskey, lemon juice.
And look out for news of the next Nights with Neve event: Round 3 will be a rolling tour, with a bus carting cocktailians from Santa Monica to Downtown, with several mixology meccas in between.